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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 2022-110 - Adopting Revisions to Council Policy 221 Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Related StatutesRESOLUTION NO. 2022-110 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF REDDING ADOPTING REVISIONS TO COUNCIL POLICY 221 TITLE VI OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 AND RELATED STATUTES WHEREAS, it is the intent of the City Council that the City of Redding take a proactive leadership role to achieve non-discriminatory practices in serving all citizens of Redding and recipients of City programs and service offerings as afforded by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and related statutes; and WHEREAS, it is the intent of the City Council to ensure that the City of Redding is in compliance with the Department of Justice requirement to adopt and publish a comprehensive policy and program manual to resolve complaints which arise under Title VI and related statutes that relate to City projects, activities, services or business opportunities and provide fair and prompt resolution; and WHEREAS, it is the intent of the City Council to ensure that the City of Redding review and revise Council Policy 221 Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and Related Statutes every three to five years, or as needed: and WHEREAS, the City Council deems it to be in the best interest of the City to adopt such revisions to the policy; NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED by the City Council that the City Council Policy 221, hereinafter entitled "Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Related Statutes" is hereby adopted in the form attached hereto. I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing resolution was introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Redding on the 18th day of October, 2022, and was duly adopted at said meeting by the following vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Dacquisto, Mezzano, Resner, Winter, and Schreder NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ATTEST: 11 ir PAMELA MI E, City 'Clerk KWJSTEN,4CHREDER, Mayor FORM APPROVAL: BARRY E. DeWAYTv, 6ij A4orney CITY OF REDDING, CALIFORNIA COUNCIL POLICY SUBJECT Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Related Statutes. RESOLUTION NUMBER POLICY NUMBER EFFECTIVE DATE PAGE 2017-086 221 09-19-17 1 BACKGROUND The City of Redding (City) will ensure that no person is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination under any of its projects, activities, or services and business opportunities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability as afforded by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and related statutes, as amended. All persons, regardless of their citizenship, are covered under this regulation. PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to affirm the City’s commitment to non-discrimination under Title VI. The City strives to ensure non-discrimination in all of its projects, activities, or services and business opportunities whether or not they are federally funded. Any person who believes they have been aggrieved by any unlawful discriminatory practice may file a complaint as outlined in the City of Redding’s Title VI Program Manual. In addition, the City’s Personnel Policy – Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation further addresses policy and complaint procedures and is available to employees online and in the Personnel office. A) It is the intent of the City Council (Council), that as a far-reaching organization, the City take a proactive leadership role in good faith efforts to achieve non-discriminatory practices in serving all citizens of Redding and recipients of City programs and service offerings, inclusive of minority populations and low-income populations, as provided herein. In addition, it is the intent of the Council to ensure the City provides equal employment and business opportunities to individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). B) As a recipient of federal funds, the City ensures that its projects, activities, and services comply with the Title VI Regulations, as amended. C) To designate the coordinators of the City’s efforts to comply with and carry out the requirements of the Title VI Regulations, as amended. POLICY It shall be the policy of the Council to ensure the City provides LEP individuals access to the City’s projects, activities, and services and to maintain compliance with the Title VI Regulations. The City endorses the goals of Title VI, ensuring equal participation of LEP individuals. The major principles of mainstreaming which the City of Redding endorses are: 1) LEP Individuals shall be integrated to the maximum extent appropriate. 2) The City’s Title VI Policy is posted in high volume areas such as websites and administrative offices of the City. This regulation shall be maintained in English and Spanish. CITY OF REDDING, CALIFORNIA COUNCIL POLICY SUBJECT Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Related Statutes. RESOLUTION NUMBER POLICY NUMBER EFFECTIVE DATE PAGE 2017-086 221 09-19-17 2 3) LEP individuals shall not be excluded from the regular programs of the City, or required to accept special services or benefits. 4) The City will not impose eligibility criteria for participation in its projects, activities, or services that either screen out or tend to screen out LEP individuals, unless it can show that such requirements are necessary for the provision of the service, program, or activity. POLICY IMPLEMENTATION AND TITLE VI COORDINATOR DESIGNATIONS Title VI requires public entities to designate at least one employee to coordinate the investigation of complaints from LEP individuals. 1) Employees. Each Department Director is responsible for ensuring that there is no discrimination against LEP persons by: 1) ensuring that all employees under their direction are informed of this City policy; and 2) ensuring that any instances or allegations of discrimination are immediately reported to the Personnel Director. The Personnel Department will ensure that each employee receives a copy of this policy. The Personnel Director will ensure that all complaints are investigated and will attempt resolution of complaints filed in the Personnel Department. Individuals are encouraged to immediately report any act of discrimination to their supervisor, department director, or the Personnel Director. Staff receiving complaints should fully inform the individual of their rights, take appropriate and timely steps to investigate, and, when merited, take prompt and effective remedial action. Title VI Coordinator Personnel Director (or his/her designee) 777 Cypress Avenue Redding, CA 96001 (530) 225-4065 2) Public Works. The Title VI Coordinator for the public services provisions of Title VI, covering program accessibility, communications, architectural barrier, and transportation issues. Title VI Coordinator Director of Public Works (or his/her designee) 777 Cypress Avenue Redding, CA 96001 (530) 245-7156 3) Housing. The Title VI Coordinator for Housing is as follows: Title VI Coordinator Housing Manager (or his/her designee) 777 Cypress Avenue Redding, CA 96001 (530) 245-7136 CITY OF REDDING, CALIFORNIA COUNCIL POLICY SUBJECT Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Related Statutes. RESOLUTION NUMBER POLICY NUMBER EFFECTIVE DATE PAGE 2017-086 221 09-19-17 3 4) Public Complaint Procedure. The Title VI Coordinator shall be responsible for investigating any complaint or communication to the City alleging non-compliance with Title VI. The Title VI Coordinator for the general public is as follows: Title VI Coordinator City Attorney 777 Cypress Avenue Redding, CA 96001 (530) 225-4385 PROCEDURE 1) Who May File a Complaint. Any person who believes that he or she or a specific class of individuals has been subjected to unlawful discriminatory practice under Title VI by the City may, on his/her own behalf or by an authorized representative, file a complaint under this procedure with one of the aforementioned Title VI coordinators. 2) Non-Retaliation. No person who files a complaint, nor any person who cooperates in the investigation of a complaint, shall be subjected to retaliation, and the City shall take reasonable steps to protect such persons from retaliatory actions. 3) Complaint. Persons having a complaint are encouraged to first contact, by telephone or in person, the appropriate Title VI Coordinator to attempt to informally resolve the complaint. If this does not yield a satisfactory resolution, a complaint form may be filed. 4) Filing. The Title VI Complaint Form shall be filed with the appropriate Title VI Coordinator; however, it may be filed orally. 5) Complainants may submit their complaint form to the City or to an external federal agency, such as FAA, FHWA, or FTA. However, should a complaint be filed with the City and one the federal agency simultaneously, the federal complaint will supersede City’s complaint and the City’s complaint procedures will be suspended pending the federal agency’s findings. Every effort will be made to obtain a timely resolution of complaints. The following procedures will be followed to investigate formal Title VI Complaints: 5.1 The formal complaint must meet the following requirements: a. Complaint shall be in writing and signed by the complainant(s). In cases where complainant is unable or incapable of providing written statement, a verbal complaint may be made. The investigator assigned to the case will interview the complainant and assist the person in converting verbal complaints to writing. All complaints must, however, be signed by the complainant or his/her representative. CITY OF REDDING, CALIFORNIA COUNCIL POLICY SUBJECT Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Related Statutes. RESOLUTION NUMBER POLICY NUMBER EFFECTIVE DATE PAGE 2017-086 221 09-19-17 4 b. Include the date of the alleged act of discrimination, date when the complainant became aware of the alleged discrimination, date on which the conduct was discontinued, or the latest instance of conduct. c. Present a detailed description of the issues, including names and job titles of those individuals perceived as parties in the complaint. d. Federal and State law requires complaints to be filed within 180 calendar days of the alleged incident. 5.2 Within 14 business days of receiving the complaint, the Title VI Coordinator will determine its jurisdiction, sufficiency, need for additional information, and investigate the merit of the complaint. The complainant will receive an acknowledgment letter informing him/her whether the City’s Title VI Coordinator has accepted or rejected the complaint. 5.3 Once the Title VI Coordinator approves the complaint for investigation, the complaint will receive a complaint number and the complaint will be logged identifying: complainant’s name; factual allegations; and alleged harm, race, color, and national origin. 5.4 If more information is needed to evaluate the claim, the Title VI Coordinator may contact the complainant. The complainant has 10 business days from the date of the letter to send requested information to the Title VI Coordinator. If the Title VI Coordinator is not contacted by the complainant or does not receive additional information within 10 business days, the Title VI Coordinator may terminate the investigation and close the complaint. 5.5 In cases where the City investigates the complaint, within 180 calendar days of the complaint, the investigator will issue either: 1) a closure letter or 2) a letter of finding (LOF). A closure letter summarizes the allegations and states that there was not a Title VI violation and that the complaint will be closed. A LOF summarizes the allegations, and informs the complainant that the Title VI Coordinator found the complaint to have merit and it will take appropriate corrective action to remedy the matter. 5.6 If the complainant is unsatisfied with the decision, he/she may file an appeal with the appropriate federal agency for their decision. THE TITLE VI COMPLAINT FORM A complaint form can be obtained from any of the Title VI Coordinators or online at www.cityofredding.org/titleVI . A copy is attached to this policy. Amended 10-18-2022, by Resolution No. 2022-110. U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Federal Coordination and Compliance Section 950 Pennsylvania Ave., NW - NWB Washington, DC 20530 NOTICE ABOUT INVESTIGATORY USES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION NOTICE OF COMPLAINANT AND INTERVIEWEE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES Complainants and individuals who cooperate in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing conducted by Department of Justice (DOJ) are afforded certain rights and protections. This brief description will provide you with an overview of these rights and protections. - A recipient may not force its employees to be represented by the recipient's counsel nor may it intimidate, threaten, coerce or discriminate against any employee who refuses to reveal to the recipient the content of an interview. An employee does, however, have the right to representation during an interview with DOJ. The representative may be the recipient's counsel, the employee's private counsel, or anyone else the interviewee authorizes to be present. - Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d — 20000, and its implementing regulations, 28 C.F.R. § 42.401 et seq., govern DOJ's compliance and enforcement authority. These provisions provide that no recipient or other person shall intimidate, threaten, coerce, or discriminate against any individual because he/she has made a complaint, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing conducted under DOJ's jurisdiction, or has asserted rights protected by statutes DOJ enforces. - Information obtained from the complainant or other individual maintained in DOJ's investigative files may be exempt from disclosure under the Privacy Act or under the Freedom of Information Act if the release of such information would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy There are two laws governing personal information submitted to any federal agency, including the DOJ.- The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S. C § 552a), and the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S. C § 552). THE PRIVACY ACT protects individuals from misuse of personal information held by the federal government. The law applies to records that are kept and that can be located by the individual's name or social security number or other personal identification system. Persons who submit information to the government should know that: - DOJ is required to investigate complaints of discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, and, in some instances, religion against recipients of Federal financial assistance. DOJ also is authorized to conduct reviews of federally funded recipients to assess their compliance with civil rights laws. - Information that DOJ collects is analyzed by authorized personnel within the agency. This information may include personnel records or other personal information. DOJ staff may need to reveal certain information to persons outside the agency in the course of verifying facts or gathering new facts to develop a basis for making a civil rights compliance determination. Such details could include the physical condition or age of a complainant. DOJ also may be required to reveal certain information to any individual who requests it under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. - The personal information will be used primarily for DOJ's authorized civil rights compliance and enforcement activities. FCS will not disclose your name or other identifying information about you unless it is necessary for enforcement activities against an entity alleged to have violated federal law, or unless such information is required to be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552, or disclosure is allowed through the publication of a routine use in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a. http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/pdf/O3- 20342.pdf To further the Department's enforcement activities, information FCS has about you may be given to: appropriate federal, state, or local agencies: Members of Congress or staff; volunteer student workers within the Department of Justice so that they may perform their duties; the news media when release is made consistent with the Freedom of Information Act and 28 C.F.R. § 40.2; and the National Archives and Records Administration and General Services Administration to perform records management inspection functions in accordance with their legal responsibilities. - No law requires a complainant to give personal information to DOJ, and no sanctions will be imposed on complainants or other individuals who deny DOJ's request. However, if DOJ fails to obtain information needed to investigate allegations of discrimination, it may be necessary to close the investigation. - The Privacy Act permits certain types of systems of records to be exempt from some of its requirements, including the access provisions. It is the policy of DOJ to exercise authority to exempt systems of records only in compelling cases. DOJ may deny a complainant access to the files compiled during the agency investigation of his or her civil rights complaint against a recipient of federal financial assistance. Complaint files are exempt in order to aid negotiations between recipients and DOJ in resolving civil rights issues and to encourage recipients to furnish information essential to the investigation. THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT gives the public access to certain files and records of the federal government. Individuals can obtain items from many categories of records of the government -- not just materials that apply to them personally. DOJ must honor requests under the Freedom of Information Act, with some exceptions. DOJ generally is not required to release documents during an investigation or enforcement proceedings if the release could have an adverse effect on the ability of the agency to do its job. Also, any Federal agency may refuse a request for records compiled for law enforcement purposes if their release could be an "unwarranted invasion of privacy" of an individual. Requests for other records, such as personnel and medical files, may be denied where the disclosure would be a "clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy." OMB No. 1190-0008 Expires: 3/21/2023 U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Federal Coordination and Compliance Section 950 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC 20530 COMPLAINT FORM The purpose of this form is to assist you in filing a complaint with the Federal Coordination and Compliance Section (FCS). You are not required to use this form; a letter with the same information is sufficient. However, the information requested in the items marked with a star must be provided if you submit something other than this form. 1. * Your name and address. Name: Address: Telephone: Home: Work or Cell: 2. * Person(s) discriminated against, if different from above: Name: Address: Telephone: Home: (___) Work or Cell: Please explain your relationship to this person(s). 3. * Agency and department or program that discriminated: Name: Address: Telephone: Home: Work or Cell: Zip 4A.* Non -employment: Does your complaint concern discrimination in the delivery of services or in other discriminatory actions of the department or agency in its treatment of you or others? If so, please indicate below the base(s) on which you believe these discriminatory actions were taken. Race/Ethnicity: National origin: Sex: —Religion: Age: Disability: OMB No. 1190-0008 Expires: 03/21/2023 4B.* Employment: Does your complaint concern discrimination in employment by the department or agency? If so, please indicate below the base(s) on which you believe these discriminatory actions were taken. Race/Ethnicity: National origin: —Sex: —Religion: Age: Disability: 5. What is the most convenient time and place for us to contact you about this complaint? 6. If we will not be able to reach you directly, you may wish to give us the name and phone number of a person who can tell us how to reach you and/or provide information about your complaint: Name: Telephone: Home:(_) Work or Cell: 7. If you have an attorney representing you concerning the matters raised in this complaint, please provide the following: Name: Address: M Telephone: Home: Work or Cell: 8. * To your best recollection, on what date(s) did the alleged discrimination take place? Earliest date of discrimination: Most recent date of discrimination: 9. Complaints of discrimination generally must be filed within 180 days of the alleged discrimination. If the most recent date of discrimination, listed above, is more than 180 days ago, you may request a waiver of the filing requirement. If you wish to request a waiver, please explain why you waited until now to file your complaint and FCS will evaluate the explanation and decide if a waiver is appropriate. OMBNo.1190-0008 Expires: 03/21/2023 10. * Please explain, as clearly and neatly as possible, what happened, why you believe it happened, and how you were discriminated against. Indicate who was involved. Be sure to include how other persons were treated differently from you. (Please use additional sheets if necessary and attach a copy of written materials pertaining to your case.) 11. Title VI of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d — 2000d7 and the nondiscrimination section of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, 28 U.S.C.§ 3789d(c), prohibit recipients of Department of Justice funds from intimidating or retaliating against anyone because he or she has either taken action or participated in an action to secure rights protected by these laws. If you believe that you have been retaliated against (separate from the discrimination alleged in #10), please explain, as clearly and neatly as possible, the circumstances below. Be sure to explain what actions you took which you believe were the basis for the alleged retaliation. OMB No. 190-0008 Expires: 03/21/2023 12. Please list below any persons (witnesses, fellow employees, supervisors, or others), if known, whom we may contact for additional information to support or clarify your complaint. Name Address Area Code/Telephone 13. Do you have any other information that you think is relevant to our investigation of your allegations? 14. What remedy are you seeking for the alleged discrimination? 15. Have you (or the person discriminated against) filed the same or any other complaints with other offices of the Department of Justice (including the Office of Justice Programs, Federal Bureau of Investigation, etc.) or other Federal agencies? If so, do you remember the Complaint Number? What agency and department or program was it filed with? Address: Telephone No: ( Date of Filing: Filed Against: OMB No. 1190-0008 Expires: 03/21/2023 Briefly, what was the complaint about? What was the result? 16. Have you filed a charge or complaint concerning the matters raised in this complaint with any of the following? U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Federal or State Court Your State or local Human Relations/Rights Commission Grievance or complaint office Other 17. If you have already filed a charge or complaint with an agency indicated in #16, above, please provide the following information (attach additional pages if necessary): Agency: Date filed: Case or Docket Number: Date of Trial/Hearing: _ Location of Agency/Court: Name of Investigator: Status of Case: Comments: 18. While it is not necessary for you to know about aid that the agency or institution you are filing against receives from the Federal government, if you know of any Department of Justice funds or assistance received by the program or department in which the alleged discrimination occurred, please provide that information below. OMB No. 1190-0008 Expires: 03/21/2023 19. * We cannot accept a complaint if it has not been signed. Please sign and date this Complaint Form below. (Signature) (Date) Please feel free to add additional sheets to explain the present situation to us. We will need your consent to disclose your name, if necessary, in the course of any investigation. Therefore, we will need a signed Consent Form from you. (If you are filing this complaint for a person whom you allege has been discriminated against, we will in most instances need a signed Consent Form from that person.) See the "Notice about Investigatory Uses of Personal Information" for information about the Consent Form. Please mail the completed, signed Discrimination Complaint Form and the signed Consent Form (please make one copy of each for your records) to: United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Federal Coordination and Compliance Section - NWB 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20530 Toll-free Voice and TDD: (888) 848-5306 Voice: (202) 307-2222 TDD: (202) 307-2678 20. How did you learn that you could file this complaint? 21. If your complaint has already been,assigned a DOJ complaint number, please list it here: Note: If a currently valid OMB control number is not displayed on the first page, you are not required to fill out this complaint form unless the Department of Justice has begun an administrative investigation into this complaint. OMB No. 1190-0008 Expires: 03/21/2023 Your Name: Address: Complaint number(s): (if known) U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Federal Coordination and Compliance Section 950 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC 20530 Please read the information below, check the appropriate box, and sign this form. I have read the Notice of Investigatory Uses of Personal Information by the Department of Justice (DOJ). As a complainant, I understand that in the course of an investigation it may become necessary for DOJ to reveal my identity to persons at the organization or institution under investigation. I am also aware of the obligations of DOJ to honor requests under the Freedom of Information Act. I understand that it may be necessary for DOJ to disclose information, including personally identifying details, that it has gathered as a part of its investigation of my complaint. In addition, I understand that as a complainant I am protected by DOD's regulations from intimidation or retaliation for having taken action or participated in action to secure rights protected by nondiscrimination statutes enforced by DOJ. CONSENT/RELEASE F-1 CONSENT - I have read and understand the above information and authorize DOJ to reveal my identity to persons at the organization or institution under investigation. I hereby authorize the Department of Justice (DOJ) to receive material and information about me pertinent to the investigation of my complaint. This release includes, but is not limited to, personal records and medical records. I understand that the material and information will be used for authorized civil rights compliance and enforcement activities. I further understand that I am not required to authorize this release, and do so voluntarily. F-1 CONSENT DENIED - I have read and understand the above information and do not want DOJ to reveal my identity to the organization or institution under investigation, or to review, receive copies of, or discuss material and information about me, pertinent to the investigation of my complaint. I understand this is likely to impede the investigation of my complaint and may result in the closure of the investigation. SIGNATURE DATE OMB No. 1190-0008 Expires: 03/21/2023